The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, hails the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) as the country’s equivalent of prestigious academic institutions such as Cambridge and Harvard Universities, when it comes to legislative training.
During his visit to NILDS’ permanent site in Abuja on Friday, Akpabio commended the institute for its state-of-the-art infrastructure and conducive learning environment, which rival those found at top-rated universities worldwide.
“The impressive facilities, vision, and focus of NILDS position it as a significant potential contributor to Nigerian democracy. With such infrastructure in place, Nigerians no longer need to seek legislative training overseas. NILDS is our own Cambridge and Harvard,” Akpabio declared.
Accompanying Akpabio on the visit were Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Minority Whip Senator Osita Ngwu, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Senator Adetokunbo Abiru.
During the event, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director General of NILDS, unveiled the institute’s latest publication, “25 Years of Democracy and Development in Nigeria.” This comprehensive work chronicles Nigeria’s democratic journey and development since 1999. The publication also features a foreword by the President of the Senate.
In a similar vein, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Maimounatou Ibrahima, visited NILDS to explore opportunities for collaboration in capacity development for parliamentarians and their support staff.
Assuring the Speaker of their commitment to the advancement and overall well-being of the sub-region, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman emphasized NILDS’ readiness to provide its services to the ECOWAS Parliament.